From staff reports
First-round pairings for the Sam Moir Christmas Classic — to be held Dec. 27-29 at Catawba — were finalized by Wednesday’s hoops results.
Salisbury’s boys and West Rowan’s boys will be seeded fourth and fifth, in some order. They’ll play each other again in the first round no matter which team wins tonight’s game.
Girls games on Tuesday will include No. 5 South Rowan against No. 4 North Rowan at noon; No. 3 West Rowan vs. No. 6 Davie at 4 p.m., and No. 2 Salisbury vs. No. 7 East Rowan at 6 p.m.
Boys games on Tuesday will include Salisbury vs. West Rowan at 1:30 p.m., No. 3 East Rowan vs. No. 6 Carson at 4:30, and No. 2 North Rowan vs. No. 7 South Rowan at 7:30 p.m.
The top-seeded Carson girls and Davie boys will open play next Wednesday night in semifinal games. Carson’s girls will play South or North in the 6 p.m. game, while the Salisbury-West boys winner will challenge the War Eagles at 7:30.
Admission is $7 per day.
Prep football
Havelock’s Jim Bob Bryant was named North Carolina Coach of the Year by the Associated Press on Wednesday.
Bryant led his football team to an undefeated season and a victory against West Rowan in the 3A championship game.
Bryant’s Rams scored 50 points per game this year and capped the season by ending a string of 19 straight playoff victories by West.
Havelock lost to Eastern Alamance in the 2009 and 2010 Eastern finals before getting over the hump this season.
Bryant received five of 16 votes cast by media members across the state. Tarboro’s Jeff Craddock got four votes, and Swain County’s Sam Pattillo got three.
Tarboro running back Todd Gurley is the winner of the Arnold R. Solomon Award as the NCPreps.com High School Football Player of the Year.
Gurley, still uncommitted but considering ACC schools, rushed for 2,485 yards with 35 touchdowns for the 2A state champs and led North Carolina to a Shrine Bowl victory.
Jayvee hoops
West Rowan’s jayvee girls topped North Rowan 46-40 on Wednesday.
Sierra Charles led the Falcons with 18 points, and Diamond Lovell had eight.
East Rowan’s jayvee girls lost to North Iredell 42-37.
Kaleigh Troutman scored 17 points for the Mustangs (7-2, 2-2 NPC), and Kennedy Lambert had six.
Kennedy Bell scored 20 for the Raiders.
East’s jayvee boys (6-4, 3-1 NPC) edged North Iredell 43-40.
Samuel Wyrick scored 13 points, and Seth Wyrick had 12.
Austin Hill had seven points and 12 boards, and Dock Corpening added six points.
8th-grade hoops
Boys
Knox 50, West 29
The Trojans (9-1) rolled against the previously unbeaten Bulldogs.
Leading the Trojans with 16 points was Donnell Alexander. Corban Usry had an all-round game with 11 points, six assists and four steals. Jalen Sanders had 12 points and four steals.
Raquan Shell, Deshaude White and Deshawn Troutman gave great defensive efforts.
Kreshaun Alexander led the Bulldogs with seven points.
Girls
West 35, Knox 21
Khaila Hall had 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs (8-2).
Marissa Henderson and Tatciana Cowan scored six points each. Peyton Greene had 10 rebounds, and Henderson pulled down six.
Aliyah Farmer scored 10 for the Trojans.
West plays North Rowan on Jan. 3.
Sacred Heart hoops
Sacred Heart’s varsity boys lost 38-32 to High Point’s Immaculate Heart of Mary at the Boyd Dolphin Tank.
The Dolphins had a cold shooting night, going 12-for-62 from the floor.
Max Fisher led the Dolphins (8-9) with 15 points including three 3-pointers and had eight rebounds.
Reilly Gokey had eight points and seven steals, and Arun Kelly-Rajan had seven rebounds and five steals.
The Dolphins are off until Jan. 4.
Local golf
Sixty-two GARS members played at Warrior this week.
Low ‘A’ flight player with a net of 68.30 was Lou Manning.
Low ‘B’ flight player with a net of 67.07 was Tommy Garver.
Low ‘C’ flight player with a net of 61.76 was Michael Garver. Low ‘D’ flight player with a net of 66.23 was Jim Brown.
Parks and Rec
Salisbury Parks and Recreation is taking registrations at Hall Gym for its Jr. Bobcats league for girls ages 7-15 and coed basketball for ages 5-6 through Jan. 14.
Registration is $35. Contact Lakai Brice at 704-638-5289 or email at lbric@salisburync.gov.
YMCA programs
Registration ends on Dec. 26 at the J.F. Hurley YMCA for Mighty Kickers indoor soccer (boys and girls, ages 3-4) and coed soccer (ages 5-14).